


Faulty Logic

by Spannah339



Series: Deceit McJerkface [2]
Category: Sanders Sides, Thomas Sanders, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Amnesia, Deceit, Gen, Manipulation, amnesia virgil, remy has a cameo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-04-26 03:38:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14393490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spannah339/pseuds/Spannah339
Summary: (Sequel to A Crack in the Crown)Because of what Deceit did to him, Virgil has forgotten the events of the past year. Roman blames himself, Logan is acting strangely distant and Patton is just trying to keep his family together.Meanwhile, Deceit's plan is coming to fruition, and Logan finds himself in a strange house where he is completely alone and struggling to see his worth.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaand we're back!!! Part two, woot woot! Pain and angst and suffering in coming - are ya ready kids??

Virgil sat on his bed, staring around the room. It was his room, yes, but it was very different. Everywhere he looked, he saw items he couldn’t remember putting there; an Aladdin poster on the wall, a Christmas sweater hanging in the closet, a photo of him and the other sides, framed and on his bedside table.

              Had someone come into his room and messed with his things while he was away – where had he even been? Logan said he had some kind of amnesia, but he didn’t feel like it. The only thing he couldn’t remember was why he had ended up on that couch – and he was pretty sure that had something to do with Roman.

              The thing that bothered him the most though was the hoodie he was wearing. When had he changed out of his old one? _Why_ had he changed out of the old one? As comfortable as the new one was, it just wasn’t him, and he had changed out of it as soon as he was able – to the upset of Patton.

              Patton had only just left – he almost had to physically push the moral side out of his room before he got too caught up in the heightened emotions. Now Virgil was alone, like he wanted, like he liked.

              Right?

              So why did he want to go downstairs and join the others, to watch movies with them, to play games with them, to help Patton bake, to sing with Roman, to discuss chemistry with Logan.

              But no. Why was he even thinking that? They didn’t like him – how many times had they shown that? How many times had they shouted when he had shown up for a video? He was just a nuisance, holding Thomas back from the things he needed to do.

No, they didn’t like him, so it was better for him to stay in his room until he was needed.

He sighed, lying back on the bed and resting his arms behind his head. Something crinkled under the pillow and he frowned, rolling over and digging a hand under his pillow. A piece of paper was underneath and he rolled his eyes – another thing someone had changed while he had been away. He really needed to have a word with Roman.

He was about to crumble it into a ball and toss it in the general direction of his rubbish bin when he stopped. It wasn’t just a piece of paper – it was a card, brightly coloured words covering the front.

_Ur Fam_

He frowned, opening it carefully to reveal the inside. A drawing of the four sides under a rainbow on one side, the letters _ILY_ under a large red heart on the other.

When had he got this? More importantly – who had given it to him? It was just cruel, a cruel joke by one of the others to make him think they actually liked him.

His hands were shaking and he dropped the card, watching it drift off the bed to the ground. Everything had changed, and he hated changes. He wanted things to go back to the way they were, he wanted his room to go back to normal.

He snatched his headphones from his bedside table, hurriedly setting some music up and slipping them over his ears. As the familiar songs filled the silence around him, he felt himself calming down.

He lay back down again, closing his eyes and trying to forget everything that had happened. It was all just a bad dream, he would wake up and things would be back to normal soon.

The door was pushed open and he felt a rush of annoyance as he sat up. Why would the others want to come into his room – they never had before and now it was like he couldn’t stop them.

“What?” he snarled as Logan entered the room, lifting one of his headphones.

“I was just making sure you were feeling alright, you had quite the ordeal and I wanted to make sure you were coping with it all.”

“I’m fine. But I want to know who the hell was messing with my stuff.” He crossed his legs, pushing his headphones off his ears and draping them over his neck.

“Someone has been messing with your stuff?” Logan asked, looking around the room. Virgil nodded, scowling slightly.

“Yeah, everything’s changed – just a little bit. Probably Roman, thinking I wouldn’t notice.”

“Most likely,” Logan agreed. “Now, how do you feel? No headaches or nausea?”

  
“The only headache here is you. What even happened to me?”

“Don’t you remember?” Logan seemed surprised. “Roman took you out adventuring, neither Patton or I am quite sure what happened but he brought you back unconscious.”

He knew it had had something to do with Roman. Why he had even asked Virgil to go adventuring in the first place was a mystery, a mystery Virgil was determined to find out at some stage.

“I don’t remember anything that happened,” Virgil said shortly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, my room isn’t a freaking subway station, so get out.”

“Very well, but know that I am here if you wish to talk about anything." 

Once Logan had left, Virgil lay back again, trying to lose himself in the music like he had so many times before. But it wasn’t the same – something was missing. Lying in his room, listening to music all day just didn’t seem as appealing as it had before.

He was restless, more so than he had been in a long time. With a start, he realised that he wanted to spend time with the others.

But it didn’t matter what he wanted, they didn’t want him around so he would stay in his room. As much as he wanted company, he didn’t want Roman’s nicknames, or Logan condescending looks, or the shouts of – of fear whenever he appeared.

He groaned, opening his eyes and staring up at the roof. Why was he caught up on this again? He had long ago accepted that the others didn’t like him, that it was his lot in life to be the bad guy. He had been taught to use the fear of the others to his advantage, to make them listen to him because they wouldn’t listen otherwise. Why was he dreading their fear now?

Maybe it would have been better if he had stayed in the back seat; if he had never moved out of Deceit’s house. Maybe it would have been better if he had stayed with the side who actually cared about him.

Better for him, maybe. But not for Thomas. So he would cope. He would cope, just like he always had.

 

~*~

              Deceit’s house was nicer than he had anticipated. It was furnished neatly and comfortably – not overly ludicrous, which Logan approved of. In fact, he found himself rather comfortable in the small house.

              It had two rooms, one that was obviously Deceits and one that was empty. Logan wondered if someone had lived there once, or if it was just a spare room. Whatever the case, he figured it was his room now.

              The rest of the house consisted of a bathroom, a kitchen and a living room. Why Deceit needed a bathroom or a kitchen was beyond Logan, but he had grown used to having unnecessary things in the house and didn’t question it.

              All in all, he was pleasantly surprised at how nice the house was. The only downside he could see was no crofters in the cupboard. What was the point of even having a kitchen if it wasn’t used to store crofters jelly?

              The silence was what bothered him the most. Home was never this quiet, there was always some kind of noise in the background, be it Patton’s cheerful humming in the kitchen, Roman belting out a song, or Virgil’s music drifting down from upstairs. The silence was unsettling.

              But he didn’t really have much of a choice – he couldn’t sink out, he had tried that already – so he waited. Luckily, Deceit had a small collection of books, and he settled down to read, having nothing else to do.

              The days passed very slowly, and he saw surprisingly little of Deceit. What the other side was doing, he didn’t know but from what he could tell Thomas was functioning as well as he had before Logan had left, so he didn't worry overly. 

              About three days after Deceit had kidnapped him, the other side returned, settling down on the seat across from Logan, obviously upset about something.

              “What is bothering you?” Logan asked, looking up from the book he was reading. If he was being honest, he was glad for the opportunity to talk to someone – the endless silence of the house was beginning to wear him down.

              “Nothing,” Deceit said shortly. Logan sighed, carefully slipping a bookmark between the pages of his book and closing it.

              “Your plans are not going according to plan?” he asked.

              “They’re going wonderfully. I’m so glad Roman decided to stay with the others and reject my offers of friendship. And Virgil is practically eating out of my hand now that he’s lost his memory.”   
  
              That got Logan’s attention – Virgil had lost his memory. How had that happened? More importantly – was he alright?

              “He’s lost his memory?”

              “No. I didn’t say that. He hasn’t lost the past years’ worth of memories.” It seemed Deceit lied more when he was worked up – or maybe he wasn’t trying to manipulate Logan in any way so he was just being his usual self. Whatever the case, Logan was beginning to realise that whatever words came out of Deceit’s mouth were falsehoods.

              “I take it that was your fault?” he asked. “Just like it was your fault Roman was acting odd.”

              “Of course not,” Deceit answered. He sighed, leaning back in his chair and taking his hat off, placing it on the table in front of him.

              “I see,” Logan said, narrowing his eyes. “Then I have one more questions for you – why?”

              Deceit was quiet for a moment, then shrugged.

              “Because I want to? Because it’s fun? It’s not because…” he trailed off, lowering his eyes. “It’s not because this is the only way you will listen to me.”

              “Perhaps we don’t listen to you because you’re ideas are selfish and deceitful. Perhaps we don’t listen to you for a good reason,” Logan said. Deceit was beginning to irritate him.

              “Then I don’t have a question for you. Why haven’t you tried to leave yet?”

              Logan frowned, adjusting his glasses as he answered.

              “It seems pointless. If Thomas is functioning just as adequately as he was before you replaced me, then there is no point in causing more conflict and hurt by making your plan known. The others will not miss me anyway, so long as you are taking my place. Therefore,” he spread his hands wide. “Any attempts at escape, futile as they would likely prove, would be pointless and foolish to carry out.”

              Deceit was quiet for a long moment after Logan had finished speaking. Then he smiled – an unsettling smile.

              “I’m very upset you’re showing so much maturity. Frankly, I was expecting it. I thought you would be happy to be away from your friends.”

              It took Logan a second to realise the true meaning behind Deceit’s words. He was surprised Logan wasn’t trying his hardest to return to his friends. He was surprised Logan wasn’t missing his friends.

              “If you were expecting me to rage and shout and beg you to release me you were greatly mistaken,” he said. “Actions such as that are pointless and immature – not to mention they accomplish nothing. If Thomas can function without me being present in the mind palace, then I am not needed, so why should I try to leave?”

              “Well then, we won’t have many enjoyable talks. I shan't return.” Deceit stood, placing his hat back on his head, then vanished.

              Logan stared after him, absentmindedly playing with his tie.

              _“I thought you would be happy to be away from your friends._ ” Deceit’s words echoed through his mind, as well as the true meaning behind them. He wasn’t happy to be away from the others, of course not. He had lived with them his whole life – being taken from them now was not ideal. But it didn’t matter, what he wanted. Causing conflict with Deceit would only raise more problems in the long run, would only cause Thomas to act foolishly.

              So he would wait here, even if it meant waiting here for the rest of his life. Because he wasn’t needed; he always knew that and now it was made very clear.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So the POV might jump around a bit, depending on how the story needs to be told/what needs to happen in each chapter. Hoepfully I make it clear enough!

Roman was doodling in his room, sketching pictures onto paper and trying to ignore the nagging feeling that this wasn’t right. That he should be doing more.

  
He should be coming up with ideas – that was his job, not drawing stupid pictures. But at the moment he couldn’t think of anything new and he felt the need to draw.

  
So he did, he focused on his art and bent over the paper, working to make the lines go as he wanted them to, focusing on the picture appearing under his pencil.

  
A knock on the door made him jump and on instinct he began hiding his drawing under the other paper, his heart thumping. They had found out he wasn’t doing what he was supposed to, they had found out he was slacking off.

  
“Can I come in, Roman?” The panic started to die down as he heard Patton’s voice on the other side of the door. Patton wouldn’t mind that he was drawing instead of coming up with ideas.

  
“Of course you can enter,” he called, shifting in his chair as Patton pushed the door open. He was carrying a mug of some kind of hot drink and grinned at Roman.

  
“I hope it’s all going tea-rrifically in here,” he said, causing Roman grin in spite himself. Patton laid the drink on the desk, and Roman felt his heart quicken as the moral side looked over his half hidden drawings. What would he think? Would he be upset that Roman hadn’t been working on ideas?

  
“These are great, Ro!” Patton said. “You’re really good at drawing!”

  
Roman blinked, somewhat taken aback by Patton’s enthusiasm. He was used to an off-handed compliment from Deceit, or one of the other sides pointing out all the flaws.

  
“You really think so?” he asked.

  
“Of course! I love the shading.”

  
“Thanks,” Roman said, still unsure if Patton had really meant it. Even if he hadn’t, a genuine compliment like that filled Roman with a glow of pride and happiness.

  
“Movie night tonight, remember,” Patton said with a grin. “And I remember promising you we’d go exploring in your realm a while back – we still need to do that.”

  
Roman had nearly forgotten about Patton’s promise, and he grinned slightly as he was reminded.

  
“That sounds like a marvellous idea!” he said.

  
“Alright – we’ll go tomorrow, shall we?” Patton asked excitedly. Roman nodded as he left, feeling happy, needed - wanted.

  
He turned back to his art, no longer feeling as though he was doing something wrong.

 

 

The commons was dimly lit as he made his way downstairs later that evening. Patton had boxes of pizza spread around and a pile of blankets covering the couches while the tv was moving through the menu screen of _Tangled_.

  
“Hey, Roman!” Patton called from under a pile of blankets. Roman moved to join him, snatching a slice of pizza as he passed the boxes. “Logan and Virge should be down soon, then we can start!”

  
The former arrived not long after, greeting the other two with a nod.

  
“Good evening, Roman,” Logan said, moving in beside Roman. “How are the ideas for the next video coming along?”

  
“Well… they’re ah… coming along,” Roman muttered, dropping his eyes. He had come up with no ideas all day – maybe he shouldn’t have drawn so much. Maybe he should have actually done what he was supposed to.

  
“I’m sure they are,” Logan said, and Roman felt the logical side’s eyes glaring at him.

  
“Roman’s doing his best,” Patton said shortly. “There’s no need to be mean, Logan.”

  
“I’m sure he is. I just hope we get a video out on time this week – with Anxiety the way he is right now he’ll be even more worked up if he don’t. Not to mention we’ll be letting Thomas’ fans down.”

  
“Logan stop it. Roman’s had a hard time lately and you’re not helping. He’ll come up with an idea when he’s ready and you pressuring him won’t help.” Patton’s eyes were flashing as he spoke, and Logan shrugged.

  
“Very well,” he said quietly.

  
“He’s right though,” Roman said. “I should have come up with an idea by now. If we don’t get a video out it will be my fault.”

  
“No, it won’t be,” Patton said shortly. “You’re trying your hardest and no one blames you for going slowly. Now, are we going to watch the movie?”

  
‘ _Logan blames me_ ,’ Roman thought, but didn’t speak. He just nodded, taking a bite out of his pizza and settling into a more comfortable position.

  
“Is Virgil coming?” Patton asked. Logan shrugged.

  
“I would not be surprised if he remained in his room. After his… accident he seems to wish to remain in his room more.”

  
The pizza seemed to turn to dust in Roman’s mouth. What was he doing? Virgil was upstairs, thinking his friends hated him, thinking he didn’t belong – and it was all Roman’s fault. He suddenly didn’t want to watch Disney – didn’t feel like he deserved to.

  
“Well, let’s start the movie and hopefully he’ll join in. I did tell him we were having a movie night,” Patton said, snatching the remote up.

  
Roman nodded, still feeling uneasy. And the unease only grew as the movie began. It wasn’t right, having a movie night without Virgil.

  
He couldn’t take it anymore. Before the opening scene had even finished, he stood.

  
“Roman?” Patton called as he moved towards the stairs.

  
“I’m sorry – I – I can’t…” He trailed off, turning and hurrying up the stairs. As he did, he heard Logan tell Patton to let him go.

  
He moved to his room and sunk down the wall, resting his chin on his knee and staring across the room. Patton’s slightly raised voice carried from downstairs, over the noise of Rapunzel singing, and he closed his eyes, leaning his head back.

  
This was his fault. It was his fault Virgil had lost his memory. It was his fault Logan and Patton were arguing. It was his fault his family was falling apart. Why had he listened to Deceit? Why hadn’t he stayed with Deceit?

  
It was all his fault. And maybe he didn’t belong here after all.

 

 

  
Logan didn’t usually mind silence – in fact, he usually loved it. The dark of night, while everyone else was asleep was the best time to work on plans and schedules and lists.   
But the silence at Deceit’s house was much more menacing than the silence at home. At home, there was the promise of friends nearby, the knowledge that another was sleeping peacefully just in the next room. The silence here was ominous and dark.

  
Logan could finally understand the term “as still as the grave.”

  
He sat on the bed in the room Deceit had given him, unable to sleep. There was nothing else to do but wait – he had read all the books of interest in the house, and there was no point in making lists that Thomas would never see.

  
So he sat on the bed, clutching his knees to his chest and trying to fight back the unnecessary fear that was creeping through him. It was illogical. There was nothing to be afraid of. There was nothing here that could hurt him. Fear like this was foolish and achieved nothing – besides, even if he was hurt it wouldn’t affect Thomas anymore, so why should he be afraid?

  
A noise from the commons room made him jump, his heart missing a beat, and he muttered a curse under his breath.

  
“Calm down Logan,” he muttered to himself. “There is nothing to fear – it is nothing that can hurt you, the most likely scenario is that Deceit has returned.”

  
Slowly, he slipped off the bed, half wishing he had some kind of weapon to hold, half wishing he would stop being so foolish and fearful.

  
He moved through the house and into the commons, to find that his hypothesis was correct – Deceit was moving through the kitchen, looking for something. Logan chose to ignore the rush of relief that washed over him as he caught sight of the other side.

  
“I was not expecting you back tonight,” he said. “If my memory serves me correctly, Tuesday night is movie night. I would have thought you would have stayed for the movie.”

  
“I did,” Deceit answered, pulling a box of cereal from the cupboard. “Virgil came downstairs, and Roman stayed for the whole movie, which didn’t upset Patton and cause him to cancel movie night.”

Logan had by now become accustomed to the roundabout way Deceit spoke when there was no need for lies or trickery. He had become used to turning the meanings of Deceit's words around and understanding he didn't mean what he said. And what he had just said was worrying. If Roman was leaving halfway through movie night then something must be wrong. And if Virgil wasn’t joining the others for movie night it was clear he was still no closer to regaining his memory.

  
“I take it that this all had nothing to do with you?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

  
Deceit shrugged, eating a handful of cereal straight from the box.

  
“I didn’t tell Roman the truth,” he said once he had finished his mouthful.

 

  
“Your truth, I’m sure,” Logan muttered. “And your truth is very different from the real true – _Deceit_.”

  
Deceit shrugged, snatching another handful of cereal.

  
“Maybe so,” he said shortly, eating the dry food.

  
Logan snorted, moving back to his room, suddenly too tired to deal with Deceit. He managed to sleep quickly this time, which obviously had nothing to do with the presence of another side in the house.

  
Nothing to do with it at all. Fear was, after all, illogical. 


	3. Chapter 3

Patton knocked on Roman’s door the next morning after breakfast.

              “Morning, kiddo,” he said as he entered the room. Roman looked up from his desk and forced a smile. “How’re you feeling today?”

              “Fine,” he said, unable to summon the energy to give a more convincing answer. Patton didn’t seem to notice – or chose not to – and smiled.

              “That’s great! How about we go take a look around your kingdom now?”

              Roman shrugged – he didn’t really want to go back into his kingdom. He hadn’t gone since he had started spending time with Deceit, and he was unsure he wanted to go back at all. His kingdom seemed childish and pointless – he had more important things to do than run an imaginary kingdom.

              Besides, he didn’t deserve a kingdom and subjects. He didn’t deserve to be a prince – not after what had happened to Virgil, not after his family was cracking at the edges.

              “Come on, Ro. It might make you feel better,” Patton said. Roman sighed, standing.

              “Very well then,” he said, more to please Patton than because he wanted to. It was clear Patton wanted to visit his kingdom, so Roman would indulge him.

              In no time at all, they were standing in the wide field that marked the beginning of his kingdom. As soon as he stepped into his realm, Roman knew something was wrong. The air felt static and charged, as though a storm was on the way, and despite the clear sky, he could see dark clouds forming over the city and castle in the distance.

              His kingdom would often reflect how he was feeling. When he was happy, the sky would be bright and clear, the kingdom would be alive and full of celebration. When he was sad, the sky was overcast, and it was often raining and his subjects seemed subdued and upset. When he was angry, storms would rush over his kingdom, and his people would often refuse to listen to him. When he was upset and muddled and felt worthless – well, he had never been to his kingdom feeling like this before. He was about to find out.

              Patton, however, didn’t seem to notice his unease and the sense of danger hanging in the air. The moral side was grinning and began to run in the direction of the city.

              “Come on, Ro! You told me you’d introduce me to some of your subjects today!”

              Roman hesitated, then took a deep breath and let it out. He would enjoy himself today. He had to – if he didn’t, who knows what would happen in his kingdom. So, he began running as well, feeling the wind rushing through his hair and the solid ground beneath his boots.

              He quickly caught up with Patton and slowed to match the other side’s pace. The storm clouds seemed much smaller now, as he ran through the grass with his friend. Everything would be okay, if only for this one day.

              Patton skidded to a stop as they reached the path that led up to the city, staring ahead with his mouth open wide.

              “W – w – what happened?” he gasped out, out of breath from his run.

              Roman looked up and felt his heart drop. His city stood in front of him, but it wasn’t _his_ city. The walls were run down and crumbling, the banners hanging over the battlements tattered and flapping limply in the slight wind. The moat was mostly dried up, and the drawbridge across it filled with holes. Through the gates, he could see the houses, as broken and decrepit as the city walls.

              “I – I don’t know,” Roman said softly. He took a step forward, staring at his city. This was his safe place, his realm. He was supposed to protect his people and the citizens. Now he couldn’t even do that?

              The storm clouds rumbled and grew closer.

              The two sides carefully made their way over the drawbridge, stepping gingerly so they didn’t fall through the weak boards into the moat below.

              The sky above them was dark, and thunder began rumbling in the background as they made their way through the empty streets. This was all his fault, he couldn’t look after his people.

              “Roman, you okay?” Patton asked, and he nodded numbly, unable to fully register the other side’s words. Where were his people? Usually, they greeted him with a huge party, but now there was silence.

              But he knew they were still here. Eyes were peering out of windows, children darting around corners, shutters closing as they passed.

              They were scared, he suddenly realised. They were scared of something – where they scared of him?

              Finally, they made it to the castle. The once great palace lay ruined and desolate, the great doors hanging on their hinges. Drops of rain began pattering on the ground.

              But here was the first sign of any of his subjects. A man was standing in the doorway, a cracked and empty Starbucks cup in one hand. He was wearing a black jacket and had dark sunglasses covering his eyes.

              “What is up, Boss-man!” he said, stepping down the slight hill to come face to face with Roman. “Bout time you showed up – the Starbucks ran out of coffee like a million years ago.”

              “Is that… Sleep?” Patton asked from beside Roman. Roman nodded heavily.

              “He became so popular he took on a personality of his own and moved in,” he said to Patton. “Hey, Remy. What happened here?”

              “Gurl, you should have seen it. I mean, first you didn’t show up for ages then this great dragon witch showed up and you, like, still stayed gone. And now I can’t get a decent drink around here.”

              “Wait – a dragon witch?” Roman asked. He cursed under his breath. Of course, monsters and beasts often attacked his kingdom – that was the way it was designed. He would be there to protect his people, and they would love him all the more. This obviously hadn’t stopped while he was away.

              “Yeah. It was huge and destroyed like half the town. So, are you gonna stick around this time, because hon, you’ve a lotta work to do.” 

              “I – I don’t…” Roman began, not entirely sure how to answer that.  

              “Awesome. I’m gonna go see if I can find some coffee anywhere, because I like, need some and soon. Later, sweetie.” Remy stepped past them, heading into the town. Roman watched him go, his heart sinking.

              He turned to Patton, wiping wet hair out of his eyes. The rain was coming down much faster now.

              “We should go,” he said.

              “W – but Roman – can’t you fix this?”

              “It doesn’t work that way.” He looked around, seeing the broken buildings, the burnt shells of the houses, the puddles forming in the potholes and ditches around his once beautiful city. “I can’t just wave my hand and fix it. I _can’t_ fix it.”

              “But can’t you try?” Patton’s glasses were covered with water, and he rubbed a finger across the lenses. “You have to try.”

              “You don’t get it, Patton. I _can’t_!” Thunder cracked almost directly above them and Patton jumped. “I can’t fix it. I let my people down, I let my kingdom down and I let _you_ down!”

              The storm was getting wilder, rain and wind whipping around them. Roman suddenly couldn’t take Patton’s large, fear filled eyes. He turned and rushed down the hill, through the town.

              A woman reached out a hand, grabbing the edge of his shirt.

              “Prince Roman – please help us!” she cried. Roman shook her off.

              “I can’t help you. I can’t help anyone. I’m useless! I’m a failure!” The wind was picking timber off the roofs of the houses, tossing the now soaking banners around.

              Wind and rain whipped through his hair as he rushed through the now dark streets. Now and then, lightning lit up the world, illuminating Roman’s failures. He had to get out of here, had to get away from what he had done.

              Then, he heard a voice, calling his name. He stopped on the edge of the drawbridge, staring out at the storm beyond.

              “Roman!” It was Patton, his voice panicked and scared. He sounded like he was in trouble. Roman stared out at the world before him, at the escape from the mistakes he had made. Then he turned and rushed back into the city.

              Maybe he had let Deceit down. Maybe he had let his kingdom down. Maybe he had let Virgil down. But there was no way he was going to let Patton down. No. He was done making mistakes. He was done failing again and again. Maybe he was still useless – but maybe he could save Patton from his own mistakes.

              So he rushed through the streets and the storm again, puddles splashing up his already wet legs, his hair clinging to his face.

              He finally found Patton, pinned under what used to be a house that had been knocked over in the storm. He carefully freed Patton, slinging the moral side’s arm over his shoulder.

              “Thanks, Ro,” Patton muttered weakly, shivering.

              He didn’t waste any time leaving his kingdom, and soon they were in the commons room, collapsing in the centre of the room.

              Roman was surprisingly out of breath. Running through the storm had exhausted him, not to mention saving Patton.

              Patton was curled in a small ball, shivering violently.

              “I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” Roman muttered, pushing his wet hair out of his eyes again. “I’m sorry. This was my fault.”

              “N – no it w-wasn’t. Y-you c-c-couldn’t ha-ve kn-known wh-what w-would hav-ve h-happen-ned,” Patton said between chattering teeth.

              Roman didn’t respond to that, just picked Patton up and carried him upstairs. He was surprisingly light and it didn’t take long for Roman to tuck him into his bed.

              He left Patton alone once he was sure he would be alright, leaving the room. He was beginning to shiver himself, his wet clothes sticking to him.

              As he left Patton’s room, he noticed Virgil’s door was open. Peering around the door, he could see no sign of the other side. That was probably for the best – Virgil wouldn’t want to see him anyway.

              But Virgil was waiting in Roman’s room, standing in the centre of the room when Roman entered. The prince’s heart sank as he saw the other side, the anger on Virgil’s face.

              “Picking us off one by one, huh?” Virgil demanded.

              “What do you mean by that?” Roman asked tiredly. He was wet, he was cold and he was miserable. He didn’t have the energy to fight with Virgil.

              “First it was me. Now it’s Patton’s turn. What’s your game, Princey?”

              “Wh – that’s not what happened,” Roman protested. Virgil narrowed his eyes.

              “Look, we both know you don’t like me. So quit pretending. Logan told me what happened, how you took me into your kingdom and something happened and now I’ve lost my memory. So tell me – what happened, what did you do to me? What have you done to Patton?”

              “Virge – I didn’t – I wouldn’t hurt you. I wouldn’t hurt Patton.”

              “Well, the facts are this; I have lost my memory, and Patton _is_ hurt. So either you’re lying, or something else is going on. And the way you’ve been acting lately, I think you might be hiding something from me.”

              “Virgil, I wou-”

              “Stop using that name! I didn’t tell you it, and there’s only one other person who knows it.” His eyes narrowed. “So I suggest you be very careful about your next move, Roman. Because I’m watching you.” He pushed past Roman to leave the room.

              “Vir – Anxiety, wait!” Roman called. “I wouldn’t hurt you. I wouldn’t hurt any of them. Please believe me – you’re my friend!”

              Virgil paused in the door, looking back at Roman.

              “Am I? Am I really your friend. Because I think you’ve made it pretty clear you want nothing to do with me. So I want nothing to do with you. And if you hurt my family again – I will make you regret it.”

              The door slammed as he left, leaving Roman standing in a small puddle, feeling as though he could do nothing right.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is this?? Another chapter! I know it's been ages, and I'm really sorry... but it is finally here!

Virgil closed his eyes and leaned against the door once he had left Roman’s room. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he tried to calm down, to slow his quickly thumping heart. That had been harder than he had expected – if he was being honest with himself, Roman scared him. The creative side didn’t like him, that was clear, and he had access to any sword or weapon he chose to summon. If he wanted to hurt Virgil, he could easily.

              “You talked to him?” Virgil jumped at the sudden noise, opening his eyes to see Logan standing in front of him. He nodded, closing his eyes again briefly as he tried to convince himself that there was no danger. “Well done. If Roman continues acting like this something very bad might happen.”

              Again, Virgil nodded. He pushed himself off the wall.

              “I’m going to my room,” he said. “Is Patton okay?”

              “Anxiety, wait,” Logan called, following Virgil as he headed to his room. “Patton will recover sufficiently, but I need to talk to you.”

              Virgil didn’t respond, just left his door open as he moved into his room. Logan would leave him as soon as they had figured out what was happening with Roman, but for now, he was glad that one of the others wanted to talk to him. He dropped onto his bed and pulled his legs up around him.

              “What?” he said shortly as Logan closed the door behind him.

              “We both know that Roman’s been acting strange, but why?”

              “That’s what we’re trying to figure out, genius,” Virgil muttered. “Get to the point.”

              “You said something interesting before – that only one other person knows your name. Do you think Roman might be seeing someone?”

              Virgil dropped his eyes, fighting back the strange mix of emotions that Logan’s words brought up. He had been thinking that himself – how else would Roman know his name? He hadn’t told anyone.

              Except – except Deceit. But the thought of Roman seeing Deceit woke a flurry of anger, fear and – jealousy. Deceit was _his_ friend.

              At least, he had been. Before Virgil had left. He had left Deceit’s house and friendship because he was needed as a larger part of Thomas’ personality. Deceit had seemed hesitant to let him go but had eventually conceded, giving him some advice. Make them listen to you. They won’t listen to you if they’re your friend. Make them fear you.

              And he had. It hadn’t been fun, but it had kept Thomas safe. But lately, he was beginning to wonder if he was doing more harm than good.

              “Maybe you should talk to him about it. If he continues spending time with this other person… he might get into trouble.”   
  
              “You want me to help him? Why should I?” Virgil demanded. Maybe a little too harshly, yes, but he didn’t want to upset Roman – didn’t want to anger him. “He wouldn’t help me.”

              “Let me put it this way,” Logan said, adjusting his glasses and gesturing with his arms. “If Roman keeps visiting this other, then he shall become influenced. He’s already hurt you, and nearly Patton. What will he do if he keeps going down this path? If he keeps hurting more of us – what will happen to Thomas?”

              Virgil didn’t answer, staring at the ground. His job was to protect Thomas – and not just from dangers he might come across in the world. Virgil was in charge of protecting him from any sorts of danger – and Roman was fast becoming a big problem.

              “Well…” he began, as a last-ditch effort. What a coward he was, trying to get out of his job. “Why can’t you go?”

              “Put simply… you know more about this other person than I do. Therefore, it makes sense that you would be the one to confront him.”

              Virgil groaned, leaning back and staring up at the roof.

              “Not to mention, it is your job,” Logan added quietly. Virgil sighed, knowing Logan was right. He had to do this. It was his job.

              “Alright,” he said at last, looking back at Logan. “I’ll do it.”

              “Thank you. Then you should –” he stopped, as if considering what he was about to say, then spoke again. “But do it in the morning. It’s late and Thomas needs sleep if he wants to function at full capacity.” Then he nodded to himself as if pleased with what he had just said. He bade Virgil goodnight and left the room.

              Virgil couldn’t help but feel relieved at Logan’s words. He could put off the confrontation, at least a little while longer.

              He still didn’t sleep well.

 

              He didn’t bother knocking on the door the next morning. Roman would be awake – it was nearly the afternoon (Virgil had kept putting off the moment, but now he really had to go and do it) and he was as ready as he would ever be.

              Roman was sitting at his desk and jumped as Virgil appeared behind him. No matter how many times he saw the fear on the other sides faces, no matter how many times he showed up to their discomfort and fear, it still hurt every time the others jumped around him. Even though that was what he wanted. Even though he had carefully crafted his persona to cause the others to fear.

              Roman, who had started shuffling papers when he first appeared, turned to face him. He looked exhausted, his eyes dark and his hair unkempt.

              “Oh, hello… Anxiety,” he said, barely any of his usual excitement in his voice. “I thought you didn’t want to see me again.”

              “I don’t, really,” Virgil muttered. “But Logan and I talked last night – and this needs to stop.”

              “Wh – what does?” Roman asked.

              “You seeing Deceit, alright,” Virgil blurted. Better to get it out fast – it was easier that way.

              Roman flinched at the dark side’s name, a strange expression flitting across his face. It confirmed Virgil’s suspicions – Roman was seeing Deceit. He continued talking, needed to get everything out before he got too anxious and needed to leave.

              “It needs to stop. He’s a bad influence. He lies to you. If you listen to him he’ll draw you down a dark path and Thomas will suffer for it.”

              He stopped talking, suddenly feeling like a hypocrite – like a traitor. Yes, Deceit had lied to him about many things, and yes, Patton and Logan both said he was bad news. But… he had helped Virgil. He had taught Virgil how to get the others to listen to him. Who was he to turn on his only friend?

              “Do you think I don’t know that?” Roman asked quietly. “I know what he’s like.”

              “So you have been seeing him?” Virgil cut in abruptly. “You need to stop, Roman.” He was getting worked up, the anger he felt towards himself being poured out on Roman.

              “I have!” Virgil flinched at the other side's shout, startled by the sudden noise. “I know what he’s like and I know this is all my fault. I’ve left him.”

              “That’s exactly what someone who was spending time with Deceit would say!” he snapped, clenching his fists. “I can’t trust anything you say.” His heart was beating quickly – he was getting worked up – he needed to leave.

              Roman called after him as he turned to go.

              “Virge! I’m not –”

              “Stop using that name!” Virgil shouted back. “It’s not yours to use!” He finally escaped the room and leaned heavily on the door. Letting out a deep breath, he began to compose himself, using his breathing exercises to calm down.  

              “How did it go?” Logan was standing in the door to his room and stepped out as Virgil pushed himself away from Roman’s door.

              “He’s defiantly seeing Deceit,” he said. Logan was about to speak when he was interrupted by Patton, opening the door to his room and peering out. He looked like he had just woken up, his hair messy and wearing his pyjamas.

              “Everything alright out here?” he asked, rubbing his eyes under his glasses.

              “Everything is fine, Patton,” Logan said.

              “Are you okay?” Virgil asked. He shouldn’t, he should keep up his dark, fearsome shield, shouldn’t get close to the others (not that they would let him. They didn’t like him, after all). But he was worried for Patton.

              “I’m fine, kiddo!” Patton said, and as he did he seemed to perk up and was wide awake. Virgil couldn’t help a small, relief filled smile crossing his face. “Are you sure you’re alright though?”   
  
              “I’m fine,” he said, hoping to reassure Patton.

              “If you say so,” Patton said, sounding uncertain. “Hey, how about I make us all some pancakes?” He left his room and moved past Logan and Virgil towards the stairs. He vanished downstairs in the direction of the kitchen and Virgil made his way towards his room.

              “You need to talk to him,” Logan said as Virgil entered his room.

              “Not right now,” Virgil muttered. His scare with Roman had shaken him more than he wanted to admit and he didn’t want to talk to anyone at the moment.

              “He might be able to help us.” Logan stopped the door from closing, looking Virgil in the eye. “Look,” he said after a pause. “I’ll talk to him for you.” Virgil frowned  - why would Logan do that for him? Bringing the concerns to Patton was his job, was part of protecting Thomas.

              “Okay,” he said, not having the energy to talk about this now. Logan didn’t let him close the door.

              “I’ll talk to Patton if you help me with something.” There it was. This Virgil could understand. No one did anything for nothing. “Get them to listen to me. I am feeling rather… unused as of late. If they listened to my ideas, my logic, then we shall have a much happier life. If they listen to me, life will be far better.”

              Virgil frowned, then gave a small nod. Logan would help him protect Thomas, keep him from falling apart from the lack of creativity and excitement Roman was showing lately. And he would help Logan create a better life for Thomas.

              “Thank you, Virgil,” Logan said, finally leaving.

              Virgil collapsed onto his bed, curling into the comfort of his hoodie and slipping his headphones over his ears. He closed his eyes, losing himself in the music.

              He didn’t even notice Logan had used his real name until much later that day.

 

Logan had lost track of how long he had been here. A week? Maybe two – perhaps even a month. Time seemed to have no meaning in Deceit’s realm.

               Really, he had noticed, nothing had a meaning. Nothing made sense. Nothing was _logical_. The layout of the house would change during the night, the walls would flicker and vanish when he touched them, the furniture looked like it was too old and worn down to hold his weight, but would be comfortable when he sat down.

              He hadn’t even seen Deceit for a number of days. Either that meant his plan was going well, or something had gone very wrong.

              Logan sat in his room, staring at the notebook he was using to document his stay. He had begun it a few days ago, as a way to see if there were any patterns in the changes Deceit’s house went under and as a way to pass the time.

              His eyes kept darting around the room, waiting to see if the shadows would return. They were often around, creeping in the corner of his eyes, edging slowly closer. He told himself that they couldn’t be real, that his mind was just playing tricks on him, but it didn’t stop the panic from rising every time he saw them.

              He couldn’t explain them, and that made them terrifying.

              And it wasn’t just the shadows. He could have sworn he had heard voices when there was no one else in the house, footsteps creeping through the halls. He was sure he wasn’t alone, but he knew he was. Who else could be here?

              “It is just Deceit’s house, playing tricks on me,” he said aloud. “Just like Virgil’s room heightens anxiety, and Patton’s room increases emotions, Deceit’s house lies.”

              A crash came from the other room, causing Logan to jump. His heart started pounding quickly, almost like it was about to leap out of his chest. He slowly lowered his pen, trying to calm himself, and made his way to the door.

              The shadows were back, creeping in the edges of his vision.

              “They are not real,” he whispered, trying to convince himself. “They are not real.”

              Then suddenly, one of the shadows appeared on the door in front of him. Logan shouted a curse and stumbled back, startled. He tripped on something uneven on the floor and found himself sprawled on the ground. His heart was beating fast and the room around him seemed to be growing, the walls stretching up and the ceiling fading into the distance.

              This wasn’t right. This couldn’t happen.

              The shadow on the door crept down, eye level with him. He was frozen, unable to move because of the intense fear he was feeling.

              “You’re not real,” the shadow whispered. Logan couldn’t speak, couldn’t answer, could only stare at it. “Nothing is real, nothing you care about. And no one care for you.”

              “I know,” Logan whispered. “I am simply a – a figment of Thomas’ imagination.” He couldn’t speak clearly, his voice catching and stuttering. “And – and they do – they do care about me. But they – they can’t – I mean they…” he trailed off, unsure of what he was going to even say, unable to tear his eyes away from the shadow on the door.

              “Oh yes, Logan. They care about you. They care about you so much.”

              He shook his head This wasn’t real, this couldn’t be real.

              “Logan!”

              He was sure he heard a voice – was that Patton? But no, Patton couldn’t be here. It was another trick of the house.

              “They care about you enough to not even notice that you are gone.”

              “Because Deceit has taken my place,” he whimpered. The shadows were coming closer, flickering and growing. He tried to move back but he couldn’t, couldn’t move. “Leave me alone.”

              “Never,” they whispered a call that was echoed around the room.          

              “You’re not real,” Logan whispered, covering his face with his arms. “You’re not real.”

              Then suddenly, they stopped. He lowered his arms, shaking slightly, to find the room back to normal. The door was now open, and Deceit stood in the doorway, frowning down at him.

              “You look marvellous,” he said. “The plan is falling apart, Thomas will never listen to me.”

              Logan struggled to his feet, using the desk to steady himself. Once standing, he adjusted his tie and glasses, trying to make himself look presentable.

              “I’m glad someone is happy,” he said sharply – perhaps a little too sharply. Deceit took another look at him and shook his head.

              “I’m sure you are,” he said, then turned to leave.

              Logan collapsed into the chair by his desk, resting his head in his hands and trying to block out the echoes of the shadows.


	5. Chapter 5

Patton busied himself in the kitchen, focusing on the pancake batter he was putting together. Eggs, flour, sugar, milk – maybe some chocolate chips. A distraction.

              His family was falling apart and there was nothing he could do. He had heard Roman and Virgil argue – it had been hard not to, really. And now Logan was obviously taking Virgil’s side. Why were they turning on each other? They were a family, they should work together.

              He had to stay positive. He had to stay happy for them – had to be the one unaffected by the mess Deceit had left behind. He was happy-pappy-Patton, after all. If he couldn’t stay cheerful then how could he stop his family from falling apart?

              “Patton. Would it be possible for us to talk?” Patton looked up from the batter to see Logan standing on the other side of the counter. He grinned, placing the bowl down.

              “Sure. What’s bothering you? I’ll try to make it all _batter_.” That was not one of his better puns, but he wasn’t really in the mood to think of anything more original. Logan didn’t bother to acknowledge it.

              “It’s Roman,” he said carefully. Patton felt unease creep into his chest. “Are we sure he’s not still seeing Deceit?”

              “Why would he? You saw what he was like at Deceit’s house. He wouldn’t want to go back, I’m sure.”

              “It’s just that… he’s been acting strange. I mean – he left a Disney movie. Surely you would not expect Roman to leave a Disney movie if he was his right self – perhaps he was going to see Deceit? Not to mention whatever happened in his realm.”

              “Logan, stop it,” Patton said shortly. “Roman’s had a hard time and you being on his case isn’t helping him any. He saved me while we were in his kingdom. So don’t you dare say he’s doing something wrong.”   
  
              “No – I did not mean it like that. Perhaps he isn’t aware of what is happening, perhaps he doesn’t know how dangerous Deceit is.”

              “I think out of everyone he knows how dangerous Deceit is most of all. So stop trying to get us to turn against him. I don’t know why you’re being so mean, Logan. But just stop it.” He bit his lip and looked down, picking up the bowl and mixing spoon in an effort to stop from crying. What was he supposed to do when his family was turning on each other?

              “Patton, think about it. Roman hasn’t changed at all since he returned from Deceit’s house, and we’ve been barely getting any new ideas. He is failing at his job and Thomas will suffer for it. You need to do something.”   
  
              “What do you want me to do, Logan?” Patton snapped, slamming the bowl down on the counter. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming himself. “I don’t know what to do. I want to help him but I don’t know how. I want to help Virgil get his memory back, but I don’t know how. I don’t know what to do, Lo.” He lowered his eyes, staring at the bowl of batter in front of him.

              “Perhaps… Perhaps Roman needs a vacation,” Logan said slowly. Patton glanced up as he began stirring again. “If we send him into his realm and let him stay there for a few weeks he might come back much happier and ready to come up with ideas. He will be away from all the stress of helping to keep Thomas functioning, and if it’s for a short time we can perhaps take a short break from making videos – I’m sure the fans won’t mind much.”

              “We’re not sending Roman away,” Patton said tiredly. “He needs to be with his family – he needs to know that we’re here for him. Sending him away is not the answer.”

              “Not forever – just to give him a break. It might help him.”

              “No Logan. I’m not –” Patton stopped suddenly, feeling a tug at the back of his mind. He glanced at Logan, who was frowning slightly. “Thomas is calling,” he said.

              “Is he – I mean, yes, I know. Shall we go see what he wants?” Patton nodded, waving his hand to clean up the kitchen. No pancakes today.

              He sunk out of the mind palace and jumped up into Thomas’ living room in his usual spot.

              “Hey, kiddo!” he said cheerfully. Keep being happy. Be happy for them. “How’s it going?”  
  
              Thomas was standing in his usual spot, his hands clasped in front of him as one by one Logan, Virgil and Roman appeared in their spots. Virgil sat on the steps, slipping his headphones off and pulling his hoodie over his head. He cast a slightly nervous glance beside him as Roman appeared, looking around slightly bewildered.

              “It’s not actually going that great, Pat,” Thomas said carefully. “I know you’ve been having a hard time, but people are starting to worry about me. I thought maybe we could talk through what’s been going on and figure out a plan for what to do next.”

              Patton nodded eagerly, relieved that Thomas was there. Thomas could help talk them through what was bothering them. Thomas would help steer them in the right direction. Patton didn’t have to keep his family together on his own.

              “I think I know why I’ve been having heightened anxiety lately,” Thomas said, nodding at Virgil. “Patton said you had lost your memory – it makes sense that you’d be acting up more than I’m used to. We’ll work on that though.”   
  
              Virgil didn’t answer, just nodded.

              “Is something else the matter?” Logan asked.

              Thomas shrugged.

              “Well, I seem to be falling out of routine. I was getting much better at going to bed at a decent time but lately I’ve been staying up way too late.”

              “Well, what have you been doing?” Patton asked. “You must have a reason for it.”

              “Not really. I just can’t seem to find the motivation to actually go to bed. It feels so much more productive to stay up. Or a lot more enjoyable watching tv shows.” Thomas gave a slightly sheepish grin with his last sentence.

              Patton frowned, unsure of what to say. He glanced around the room – the others didn’t seem to have any ideas.   
  
              “Logan?” he asked – Logan was the one in charge of Thomas’ sleep cycle, he might have an idea of what was happening or how to fix it.

              “Wha – oh, right.” The logical side seemed a little confused for a moment, then spoke slightly hesitantly. “Perhaps your mind is working too fast. Too many ideas to actually settle you enough to sleep,” he suggested.

              Roman looked up, slightly guiltily and Patton felt a slight rush of anger. Why was Logan trying to turn everyone against Roman?

              “Is that – Roman?” Thomas asked, turning to the creative side. Roman shrugged, his shoulder slumping.

              “He’s probably right,” he said quietly. “I’ll try not to keep you up.”

              “Thank you, Roman,” Logan said. “In fact…” he hesitated a moment, then spoke again. “Perhaps you need a break. A change to take your mind off everything that has happened. You could –”

              “Logan I told you. We are not sending Roman away,” Patton interrupted. “So stop suggesting it!”

              “W – what’s going on?” Thomas asked, looking between the two sides in confusion.

              “I simply offered a suggestion to Patton before you called us,” Logan said. “He didn’t like the idea and acted negatively towards it. I thought that perhaps I would see what you all thought of it – Roman has had a hard time and he might need a break from his responsibilities.”

              “It might not be a bad idea,” Virgil muttered. Patton stared at him.

              “I’m not sending Roman away while he needs us,” he said shortly.

              “It’s fine, Pat,” Roman said. “If they don’t want me around then I’ll go.”

              “Hey, hey slow down guys,” Thomas said, holding up his hands. “Roman, we’re not going to send you anywhere if you don’t want to go – okay?”

              Roman didn’t say anything, just nodded and lowered his gaze.

              “Thomas, think about this,” Logan said. “He’s been keeping you up at night, he hasn’t been doing his job – he’s been stressing Anx – Virgil out a lot lately. Perhaps we’re the ones who need a break from him.”

              “Stop it, Logan,” Patton said, fighting back the tears that were starting to prick at his eyes again. Stay happy for his friends. Smile. Stay happy. “Why are you being so mean lately?”

              “And, come to think of it, aren’t you in charge of making sure I get enough sleep?” Thomas asked.

              Logan shrugged, folding his hands together.

              “I have simply been under a great deal of stress lately,” he said. “Deceit’s return, Virgil’s amnesia and Roman’s odd behaviour have not lent itself to me getting much rest. It is only natural that things slip my mind from time to time.”

              “But it’s more than just forgetting things,” Patton said. He felt bad for accusing Logan like this, but he was tired of the other side’s behaviour. “You’re being mean, you’ve turned Virgil against Roman, you’re trying to get rid of Roman. Why?”

              “Roman was the one who caused my memory loss in the first place,” Virgil said, casting a small glare at the other side.

              “I know,” Roman said. “And I cannot apologise enough for that. And I hope that one day you shall accept my apology.”

              “Roman, it wasn’t your fault,” Patton said.

              “But it was! If I hadn’t listened to Deceit in the first place Vir – Anxiety would never have been hurt.”

              “It’s not your fault, Roman,” Thomas said. “Deceit is very good at manipulating and making the bad sound good.”

              “But I should have known better.”

              “He does have a point,” Logan said. “If he had come to us instead of turning to someone he knew as dang –”

              “Logan shut up!” Patton shouted, his temper flaring. He had had enough of Logan’s comments, of Logan trying to turn everyone against Roman. “You’re acting mean, selfish and cruel. If I didn’t know better I would say _you_ were the one seeing Deceit.”

              Logan flinched at Patton’s accusation but quickly recovered himself.

              "Visting Deceit would be very illogical - and I am Logic. And I suggest you listen to Logic and do what is best for Thomas – which is sending Roman away for a while.”

              “No. No, I’m not doing that,” Patton said.

              “Patton’s right, Logan. We’re not sending anyone away,” Thomas said. “Look, let’s all just take a step back and think about this – okay? Something bigger than Virgil’s memory loss is happening and I need your help to figure out what it is.”

              Patton nodded, taking a deep breath. He needed to stay happy and cheerful for the others.

              Something was bothering him, something he couldn’t quite place. He glanced around the room, taking in the room and the inhabitants of it. His eyes landed on Logan and suddenly he remembered the flinch.

              Had his accusation hit closer to home that he thought?

              “Logan,” he began slowly. “What’s bothering you?”

              “Me? – nothing,” Logan said. “I am perfectly normal.”

              “No, something is wrong. You’ve been letting Thomas’ sleep schedule slip, you’ve been meaner than usual, you’ve been acting strange lately. What’s wrong? We’re your family – you can talk to us.”

              The others were all looking between the two sides, following the conversation. After a long pause, Virgil was the one who spoke.

              “He suggested Roman might be still seeing Deceit – never said anything about sending Roman away. I don’t…” he paused, seeming hesitant to continue.

“What are you suggesting?” Logan asked sharply.  
  
              “Logan, shush. Go on, Virgil,” Thomas said and Virgil let out a long sigh.

              “I don’t think he’s seeing Deceit,” he said after a moment. “I think –”

              Suddenly it clicked for Patton, and the burning anger in his chest burst high again.

              “He is Deceit,” he finished for Virgil.

              There was a long moment of silence, all eyes on Logan. Finally, he let out a sigh, his shoulder slumping, his whole manner changing.

              “Well. Took you longer this time, didn’t it?” he said with a small chuckle. In the blink of an eye, Logan had vanished and in his place stood Deceit, a smirk covering his scaled face. 


	6. Chapter 6

Logan was sitting on the bed, pressed into the corner, his eyes darting around the room. The shadows were going to come back any second – he knew it and he had to be ready for them. He wasn’t going to let them take him by surprise again.

              Sounds came from outside the room and he started, trying to move further into the corner. He knew logically there was nothing out there, that it was just Deceit’s realm playing tricks on his mind; lying to him.

              So why was he so scared?

              “It is simply something I do not understand,” he said aloud. Speaking aloud helped to ground him in reality. “But then, realistically, I do not understand my own existence. How can I exist? I am simply a part of a personality – how can I have a mind, how can I think?

              “How can I fear?”

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his beating heart. It was fine. He was okay – this was all a trick. Nothing more than a deception.

              The noises from the hall grew louder – it sounded like a small group of people was moving towards his room. Logan’s eyes darted around for some kind of weapon to use.

              “It’s not real,” he muttered, trying to force his body to relax. Trying to force himself to get up and do something. But he couldn’t – he was too frightened.

              Not that there would be anything useful for him to do even if he could move.

              The door handle turned and Logan’s heart leapt into his mouth. What was it? Was is a beast? Was it a dragonwitch? Was it Deceit? Was it –

              Patton?

              For it was. Standing in the doorway was Patton; behind him Roman, Virgil and Thomas. Logan felt his heart slow to normal and his body seemed to unclench as he found he could move again.

              “Logan! You’re alright. We were so worried!” Patton cried, rushing into the room.

              “What has the fiend done to you?” Roman asked.

              Logan shakily straightened, pushing himself off the bed. He wasn’t sure if he could believe it – were his friends really here? Had Deceit let his disguise slip?

              “You okay, Lo?” Thomas asked worriedly. Logan nodded, still confused.

              “Yes. I am adequate,” he said, still leaning on the wall. Patton hovered worriedly around him. “However, I am confused as to why you are here. What made you come after me?”

              “As soon as we knew what had happened, we had to come find you!” Patton cried.

              “We could not leave you in the clutches of that monster,” Roman said.

              “Deceit slipped up,” Virgil said, being the only one who had given anything close to a satisfactory answer.

              “Yeah, once we knew he had you locked up here there was no way we were going to leave you here!” Thomas said.

              “I – well. I must say I am surprised. I did not expect to leave here,” Logan admitted. He pushed himself off the wall. “I thought you would not see the need to find me.”

              There was a moment of silence, then Roman spoke.

              “Well,” he began, and Logan felt uneasy. “We – that is to say, Thomas – needs logic.”

              “Naturally. And since Deceit slipped he cannot take my place anymore – therefore you need me back.”

              Again, there was a long pause.

              “The thing is… we don’t really need _you_ , right?” Roman said slowly.

              “What are you trying to say?” Logan said sharply. He already knew where this was going – had expected it for some time.

              “I need logic to function, yes,” Thomas said. Something was strange about him, like he was inhuman in some way. But that was probably the house, manipulating Logan’s sight. “But do I really need Logan?”

              Logan nodded, once, sharply. Of course. He knew this was coming. He knew he was the least favourite.  So why keep him around? It simply made no sense. Of course it made more sense to get rid of him and simply be left with the personality trait of logic.

              No need for Logan.

              “I see,” he said. “Very well, if you insist.”

              His friends exchanged looks, their faces warping strangely. Patton was wearing a smile that looked unsettling on his face. Virgil’s eyeshadow was dripping. Roman was suddenly holding his sword and a strange, proud expression covered his face.

              And Thomas – Thomas was strangest of all. His face was changing slightly – cycling through the faces of the other sides. And flickering behind his eyes were the shadows.

              Logan stumbled back, the fear suddenly returning. The shadows were back. They were back. His heart began pounding again and he couldn’t breathe.

              “Do you need to come back, Logan?” Patton asked, his voice sounding much like the shadows. He was changing, his face warping and flickering, his arms growing and fading to shadow. The others were changing as well, slowly morphing with the darkness that was suddenly around them.

              “We don’t need you,” Roman hissed.

              “No one likes you,” Virgil whispered.

              “I wish I had never created you,” Thomas growled.

              Logan stumbled back, falling onto his bed. He whimpered, hugging himself and squeezing his eyes shut as the demented copies of his friends advanced on him.

              “You’re not needed, Logan. No one wants you.”

              “Go away,” he whispered faintly. “You’re not real. You’re not real.” His eyes were stinging strangely, his fingers digging into his arms as he clutched himself. “You’re not real. You’re not real. You’re not real.” It began a chant, a faint, weak chant.

              He was alone in his room, curled on the bed with his hands clutching his arms, sobbing the same words over and over again.

              “You’re not real. You’re not real. You’re not real. You’re not real!”

 

 

              There was a long silence after Deceit was revealed. Virgil felt his heart quicken as he realised his suspicion was correct. He shifted slightly, uncomfortable with Roman on one side and Deceit on the other.

              Then came the rush of anger – how long at Deceit been pretending to be Logan? How long had Deceit been lying to him? Deceit had been trying to turn him against Roman – so how much was Roman really at fault?

              Patton had stepped forward, anger radiating off his form. His hands were clenched and Virgil had never seen him so upset.

              “I told you to not come back!” he growled. “Get out. Now.”

              “Woah, hey, calm down Patton,” Thomas said, turning and holding his hands up to Patton in an effort to calm the moral side down. “What’s going on?” He turned back to Deceit. “How long have you been pretending to be Logan?”

              Deceit spread his arms wide and smile.

              “Why, forever,” he said with a smirk. Virgil knew that it couldn’t be possible but he still felt his heart rate quicken – what if Logan had never existed? What if it had been Deceit all along.

              “I’m not falling for that again,” Thomas said. “Where is Logan?”

              “Oh, he’s perfectly alright,” Deceit said with a smirk. “He’s quite safe.”

              Virgil felt his breath quicken and his heart thumping loudly. Logan wasn’t safe. He wasn’t safe at all.

              “Where is he?” he growled – shocking himself with the faint echo that accompanied his voice. He was more worked up than he thought.

              “Ah, Virgil. I haven’t seen you for a long time,” Deceit said, turning his eyes to Anxiety. Virgil couldn’t look away from the deceitful side’s startling yellow eye. “You know, we used to be friends. It hurt when you betrayed me like that.”

              Virgil didn’t answer, lowering his eyes and trying to work through the swarm of emotions that were buzzing inside him. Guilt, anger, fear, distrust, worry.

              “Answer him,” Roman said, without the usual gusto he had when facing a villain. Virgil glanced up at him to see he was holding his sword. But his hands were shaking and Virgil’s confused mess of emotions was mirrored in the prince’s eyes.

              “Roman! How good to see _you_ again. Especially after our last meeting – when you tossed me away like trash and with me your last chance at having a home other than this place. Shame really – the others want to throw you out again – at least Virgil does.”

              Virgil looked down, feeling Roman’s eyes on the back of his head. Deceit was right – he had said sending Roman away might be a good idea. But not forever of course – a break might be good for Roman. Besides, he was only really agreeing because ‘Logan’ had asked for his help.

              It still didn’t excuse the fact that he had said he wanted to send Roman away.

              “Alright. That’s enough.” Thomas’ voice was stern and commanding and Virgil looked up at him. “Deceit, tell us where Logan is and then leave us alone. Stop filling their heads with lies.”

              “You can’t get rid of me completely,” Deceit said, smirking.

              “I know that. But I don’t want you around. So do what I ask and tell us where Logan is.”

              “You’ll never find him.”

              “Leave that up to us. Where is Logan?”

              There was a long pause, and Deceit looked around the group, seeming to be weighing up his options. Thomas and Patton glared at him, though Virgil couldn’t quite keep eye contact – and he noticed Roman was looking anywhere but Deceit as well.

              Finally, he shrugged.

              “He’s deep in my realm. Too far for any of you to go without my help.”

              “Can we trust you?” Patton asked.

              “Of course.”

              That didn’t inspire much confidence, but Virgil knew Deceit was telling the truth – at least about where Logan was.

              “He’s right,” he said. “Logan’ll be in his house. It’s right in the middle of his realm – or room – or whatever you want to call it.”

              He remembered that house well. The small, well-kept house that tricked his senses and caused him to question his whole existence. The house that was placed in a jungle of lies and tricks. The house he had spent much of Thomas’ early years in.

              “Well. There we go. Virgil believes me. Now, if you’ll excuse me – I must go. I guess I shall see you there. If you ever arrive.” And with the tip of his hat, Deceit sunk out.

              “Now what?” Roman asked after a short silence.

              “We go after him,” Patton said. “We need to find Logan – he might be in trouble! Thomas – can you take us to Deceit’s realm?”

              “I – I guess so. But it sounds like it’s not going to be easy to find Logan.”

              “It won’t be,” Virgil muttered. Everyone turned to look at him and he grimaced. “I’ve been there. It’s a place full of lies and tricks. There’s no way you’re going to be able to get to Deceit’s house.”

              “Maybe you could help? You could guide us through,” Patton suggested. Virgil sighed. He knew this was coming. He had lived in Deceit’s realm – he knew his way around. So it made sense that he would guide them through. But he didn’t really want to go back to the place he had spent so long in.

              “Virge? Do you mind? We can’t find Logan without you,” Thomas asked. Virgil sighed.

              “Alright,” he said. “Fine. We get Logan back and then you can go back to not liking me.”

              “Virgil that’s not true!” Patton cried.

              “I don’t wanna hear it, Pat. Let’s go.” He nodded at Thomas, who nodded back.

              “Off on a grand quest we go,” Roman said quietly.

             


	7. Chapter 7

The edge of Deceit’s realm was much the same as the edge of his own. Roman found himself standing on a large, flat strip of grass. But unlike his kingdom, the tips of a palace couldn’t be seen down the hill – instead, a forest was stretched out in front of them.

              He took an uncertain step back, away from the ominous trees. They loomed over the grassy clearing, and when he turned around he found he was surrounded by them.

              The others looked around slightly nervously as well. Virgil had thrown his hoodie over his head and seemed to retreat inside himself. Patton looked up at the trees worriedly.

              “Well. I suppose we go on?” Thomas said slowly. Patton nodded, biting his lip

              “Yeah. Logan needs us.”

              No one made a move forward. Roman knew he should, could feel the pull of adventure in the back of his mind. But he didn’t budge. He didn’t want to rush headlong into danger only to mess everything up again.

              Finally, Patton stepped forward.

              “Well. Virge, kiddo. Can you show us the way?” he asked, turning to anxiety. Virgil grimaced but nodded. He stepped forward, into the shadows of the trees. Patton followed, a step behind, and then Thomas vanished into the dim light of the forest.

              Roman paused a moment longer, waiting – for what he wasn’t sure. Did the others really need him? He was just going to get in the way. He couldn’t help them.

              “Ro, you coming?” Patton called. With a sigh, Roman stepped into the forest to join his friends.

              Instantly he felt like he was surrounded; like a hundred eyes were watching him. He hurried after the others, who were close together. Virgil was at the front, moving slowly and uncertainty. Patton, close behind him, was talking softly, encouraging him. Thomas glanced back as Roman joined them.

              “Do we really need to be doing this?” Roman muttered, half to himself. He knew he wasn’t going to leave Logan alone, but he didn’t want to stay in this dark forest for any longer than he had to.

              “There’s no way I’m leaving Logan trapped,” Thomas said. “And besides that, I feel like my thoughts are all muddled. I can’t think clearly. We need to find him.” Roman nodded, looking down at the roots on the ground under his feet. He could have sworn they were moving – shifting like snakes along the ground.

              They walked in silence for a long while, Patton’s soft encouragements the only sound in the dim forest. The silence made Roman uneasy, and he kept looking around as if something might come out of the darkness and attack them.

              Virgil suddenly stopped, causing the others to stop as well. Roman shifted nervously, his eyes darting.

              “What’s the matter, Virge?” Thomas asked.

              “I told you, don’t call me that!” Virgil snapped. He breathed deeply then let his breath out again. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I – I’m just not sure this is the right way.”

              Roman felt a flush of anger, sharped by fear. What if they got lost here? What if Virgil couldn’t find a way out? What if they never left?

              Virgil was breathing heavily, seemingly unable to calm down. His heightened anxiety was obviously affecting Thomas, who was looking around wildly and breathing quickly.

              “I’m sure you’re doing just fine,” Patton said calmly. He sounded calm, but Roman could see the fear in his eyes as he looked anxiously into the trees. “We’ll figure this out.”

              Roman suddenly wished Logan was there. Logan would tell them this was all imagination, that there was nothing to be afraid of. Logan would not be afraid – it was illogical to be afraid after all.

              But Roman was very afraid. He was afraid for his family, he was afraid for himself – selfish though that was. And his mind was working quickly, coming up with wilder and wilder ideas of what was hiding in the darkness.

              Then he heard a low growl. His heart leapt to his mouth and he quickly moved towards the others, eyes darting around the trees. Something was out there. He was sure of it. There was something there.

              Virgil was breathing heavily, his face hidden by his hoodie. Beside him, Thomas was looking just as terrified.

              Then slowly, tail flicking and hissing, a creature stepped out of the trees. It towered over Roman, almost twice as large as he, wings outstretched making it look even larger. One of its tails was raised high above its heads, the other snaking around and hissing. Its two heads stared down at him and Roman felt very small.

              It was a Manticore-Chimera. One of Roman’s biggest fears – the one beast he had never been able to overcome. And now it was here – in Deceit’s land of lies.

              He staggered back, moving behind the others to what felt like safety. Virgil was breathing heavily and Thomas looked like he was about to bolt – Virgil working overtime and the absence of any logic had him acting like a frightened rabbit. Roman felt much the same – he couldn’t beat the monster on a good day – how could he even begin to face it in the state he was in? He would fail, and let his family down again.

              It growled, then let out a low, surprisingly menacing bleat. It crouched low, its wings starched wide, then with another growl, leapt.

              The others scatted, darting away from the monster but Roman couldn’t move. He was staring at the Manticore-Chimera, too scared to do anything but watch as it flew through the air.

              Then, in barely two beats of his rabidly thumping heart, it was on top of him. Roman slammed into the ground, his head connecting painfully with a rock behind him. A heavyweight was on his chest as the creature’s paw pinned him to the ground. He felt his chest compress and found himself short of breath as it leaned over him. He tried vainly to push its paw off him but it was too strong.

              The two heads lowered, the lion mouth looking like it was smiling. What would happen to Thomas if creativity was killed? Would he never think of an original idea? Or would creativity continue without Roman? That was probably the best option – so maybe this was for the best.

              The stench of the monster’s breath filled his nose as it leaned closer. Roman closed his eyes, waiting. But the sharp pain followed by nothingness didn’t come.

              A hiss, then a growl, then the weight was suddenly gone from him. Roman shakily pushed himself up, one hand supporting himself, the other pressed to the back of his head. It was sticky and wet.

              “Leave him alone!” Patton was darting around the other side of the clearing, a rock in his hand. He threw it, hitting the creature squarely in its side. The Manticore-Chimera let out a growl, spinning to face him. But another rock came from its other side – this one thrown by Virgil.

              “You okay, Ro?” Thomas was leaning over him, holding out a hand. Roman took it and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. He swayed, but stood, and gave Thomas a small nod. He was shaking, his heart beating quickly and tears in his eyes. The monster was snarling, darting back and forth between the two sides pelting it with stones and sticks. Its scorpion tail struck out at Patton, but he darted away. Its lion head lunched at Virgil, who ducked under it.

              But Roman could see that they wouldn’t be able to last long. Soon the monster would learn that it could ignore the sharp but small pain from one side while it focused on the other. Soon it would attack one of his friends.

              He had to do something. But what? What could he do without messing up? He had messed up so many times, he had let down his friends so many times. Why would this be any different?

              Thomas laid a hand on his shoulder and he turned.

              “You don’t have to do this alone,” Thomas said.

              That was it. That was why he couldn’t defeat the Manticore-Chimera. That was why he had failed every time he had tried. Maybe that was why he had messed up so many times. He didn’t have to do it alone. And maybe if his friends helped he could help them.

              He stepped forward, slowly but determinedly. Then he began running, building up speed as he rushed towards the monster. Without thinking, he summoned his sword as he ran, the bright metal flashing. Then he leapt, letting out a cry.

              As he did, he felt the clothes he wore changing – they grew brighter, sharper, cleaner. They were no longer ripped and dull, no longer baring the misery and uselessness he had felt over the past months. They were fresh, bright, clean.

              The garments of a prince.

              Then he was upon the creature, his sword digging into its lion head. Taken by surprise, it let out a roar and staggered back. Moving quickly, Roman grabbed a handful of the mane, pulling himself onto the top of its head and tugging his sword free. He jumped again, grabbing the horns of the goat head as he did and spinning so he could stab his sword between its eyes.

              Patton let out a shout, throwing another stone, but Roman was focused. He stabbed his sword into the top of the goat head. With a cry of pain, the eyes of the goat went dull, and the head dropped forward. Roman staggered, losing his foot, but he grabbed the horn to stop himself falling – his sword, however, tumbled to the ground.

              The lion snapped at him, snarling. He grabbed the horn with both hands and tried to pull himself up but couldn’t – the monster was moving too much for him to do anything but hold on.

              He held on for dear life for what felt like years, his arms aching and his heart beating. The suddenly the monster bellowed in pain, spinning violently. Roman was flung free, landing on the ground and rolling a few feet.

              He lay dazed for a moment until a hand on his back caused him to look up. Patton was looking down in concern. Roman took the hand offered and let himself be pulled from the ground for the second time in the last ten minutes.

              Virgil was holding his sword – fresh blood covering the blade. The Manticore-Chimera’s snake tail was severed – the head lying on the ground not far from Roman’s position.

              Virgil locked eyes with him and raised the sword. Roman nodded and Virgil flung it. It sailed through the air, a bright flash in the dark forest, then was in Roman’s hand, the familiar grip feeling like home.

              “Begone, foul beast!” Roman shouted, striding forward. Patton walked behind him, and his other friends were not far. He felt like he could do anything, like he couldn’t mess up again. He felt like he had before. He felt like a prince. “Begone and do not bother me or my friends ever again.”

              He pointed the sword at the creature and it back away. Virgil and Thomas had joined Roman, standing behind him with Patton.

              “Begone!”

              He stepped forward, raising the sword, and with a yowl of fear, the creature spread its wings and lifted into the sky, leaving only a few drops of bright blood shining in the air. They seemed to hover for a second, then fell to the ground as Roman did.

              He managed to catch himself this time, digging the point of his sword into the ground and leaning heavily on the weapon. He waved away the quickly offered help from Thomas and Patton and straighten.

              “You okay, kiddo?” Patton asked. Roman turned to look at him, a small smile dancing on the edge of his mouth.

              “Yeah. Yeah, I think I’m okay,” he said. And for once, he wasn’t lying.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *kicks down the door while screaming*   
> I'M BAAAAACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
> FOUR MONTHS AND EIGHTEEN DAYS I AM /SO SORRY/   
> But I always intended to finish this story and /I will/. It may take me another four months, it may take me a year, it may only take me a week. But I will finish this!   
> Anyway, enjoy the new chapter you have all waited waaaaay too long for!

         Virgil hated this forest. He always had. Deceit was the only one who could cross it safely, the only one who could tell what was true or lies in this mess of darkness. But Virgil knew his way around – he had to. He’d been lost here enough growing up to know exactly which way to go.

Or at least he thought he did. Now the adrenaline of fighting the Manticore-Chimera had worn off, he was beginning to wonder if he was really in the right place.

He didn’t want to admit that – if the others knew he might be lost they would throw him aside much sooner. And if he was being honest, he was enjoying being needed. He was enjoying spending time with the others without them cringing with fear or pushing him away. He just knew it couldn’t last.

“Thank you, Anxiety,” Roman said, pulling him out of his thoughts. A strange feeling passed through him at the lack of his name. He hated using that name – Deceit had only used it to push him down. And yet – he wanted to hear the others use it. "I could never have defeated that monster without you." 

He didn’t know which way to go, didn’t know what he wanted, didn’t know how much he had changed, how much he had forgotten. But he could at least try with the first one. He was pretty sure this was the right way.

He hoped.

He turned to the others, shaking himself back to the current situation. Roman was still looking at him like he expected an answer. After a moment, he turned to the others, as if realising Virgil wasn’t going to answer.

Roman looked better – he seemed to have broken out of whatever was holding him back while fighting the monster. Virgil hadn’t realised how miserable he had looked until he saw Roman back at full strength.

But as he watched the others congratulate him, Virgil realised Roman wasn’t at full strength again. He looked happier, yes, but there was still a haunted look in his eyes and the creative side still wasn’t carrying himself in his usual loud manner.

Finally, he grew tired of waiting in one spot – they had to keep moving. Who knew what was going to come after them if they stayed still for too long.

“Ready to go?” he asked.

“Sure!” Patton said and the others nodded. Taking a deep breath, Virgil turned to the trees, trying to figure out the best path. After a moment’s consideration, he made a decision and stepped forward.

The presence of Roman’s sword made him feel a little safer – even if it was Roman who was holding it. A blade of any kind was preferable to nothing in this dark forest.

“How did you summon that?” Patton asked suddenly. “You said you weren’t able to summon anything when you were staying with Deceit – why now in the middle of his realm?”

“I don’t know,” Roman admitted. “It just felt right – I didn’t really think about it.”

Logan would know why, Virgil though. Logan always knew what to say. But he wasn’t here – they needed to find him.

He placed his foot down, then pulled it back quickly, scanning the ground in front of him. Nothing – just solid dirt and fallen leaves. He had been sure something had moved underfoot.

Nervousness filled him – what was he doing here? Why were they here? This place could kill them all.

“You alright, Anxiety?” Thomas asked, and he nodded, trying to calm himself. Whatever he felt would affect Thomas as well – he couldn’t let that happen.

But the ground was definitely moving now. Every time he put his foot down something shifted. He stopped, glancing back at the others. They didn’t seem to think anything was wrong.

“What’s the matter?” Patton asked.

“The ground’s moving,” he muttered.

The others looked a little nervous at his answer, each moving a little closer to each other. Virgil didn’t want to admit that the presence of the others made him feel safer, but he was glad he wasn’t alone.

“We must keep moving,” Roman said, clearly trying – and failing – to hide the fear in his voice. “We have to rescue Logan.”

Virgil knew he was right – he knew what Deceit’s house could do to someone, and Logan had been there for a long time. They had to save him, bring him home. But everything in him was screaming that this was a _bad_ idea. He was supposed to keep Thomas safe – taking him to the darkest reaches of his mind was the opposite of that. What was he doing?

A hand was laid on his shoulder and he flinched away from it, taken aback by the unexpected touch. Patton lifted his hand, a hesitant expression on his face.

“Are you alright, kiddo?” he asked quietly. 

“No. No I’m really not alright,” Virgil answered before thinking. “This is a  _ bad place _ . This was a  _ bad idea.  _ We need to get out of here before Thomas gets hurt.”

“But what about Logan?” Patton answered. Virgil felt like screaming. They wouldn’t be able to help Logan if something happened to Thomas. They wouldn’t be able to do _anything_ if something happened to Thomas. 

“Anxiety, we have to find him,” Thomas said. “And… you being with us means we’re safer. You can go back if you want to, no one is going to stop you, but I’m not leaving until we find Logan.” 

Patton and Roman both nodded and Virgil gritted his teeth. If Logan was here he might be able to knock some sense into them. Logan wouldn’t want them to hurt themselves just to find him.

But he didn’t say anything, just balled his hands in his pockets and hunched further into his hoodie. Thomas was right - if they insisted on going after Logan he needed to go with them to make sure they didn’t kill themselves. 

They moved carefully, Roman leading the way, his sword drawn and alert for anything in the trees. Virgil, while still guiding the prince, kept his eyes on the ground, still unsure if the ground really was moving or if it was just his mind making things up - Deceit’s realm lying to him. 

Then he saw something, a snaking root reaching out of the ground. Virgil’s fight or flight reflexes screamed and he lunged, shoving Roman out of the way. Someone shouted his name. Something wrapped around his leg and he stumbled, falling against a tree. 

Almost instantly, roots were snaking around him, pinning him to the trunk. He flailed, heart beating wildly as he struggled to free himself. He couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe, roots squeezing him tightly. 

“Virgil!” Patton cried. He was standing before Virgil, trying in vain to rip the roots away. Roman was using his sword, carefully slashing at Virgil’s prison. Virgil couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. Terror coursed through him and he was vaguely aware of Thomas’ panicked voice in the distance. 

“You need to calm down, kiddo,” Patton said, stopping his wrenching of the roots. “We can’t help you while you’re panicking this much. You’re affecting all of us.” His voice was high pitched, emotion-filled. Roman had stopped his slashing in an attempt to calm down Thomas, but without logic, nothing would work unless Virgil stopped panicking. 

So he allowed Patton to talk him through the breathing exercises, slowed his heart beat a little, tried to push away the panic he felt. He was still shaking, still terrified, but Thomas was managing his anxiety a lot better. 

“You okay?” Patton asked as he began to calm. 

“ **No** ,” he answered, his voice echoing slightly. “ **But better.** ” He wasn’t okay. He wasn’t going to be okay as long as he was in Deceit’s home, but he wasn’t panicking quite so much. 

“It’s not… real,” Thomas muttered, pressing a hand to his head. Virgil wanted to scream. Of course it was real! He could feel the roots squeezing him. He couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything but wait. 

“Are you alright, Thomas?” Roman asked. 

“It’s not real. You’re not… it’s not real,” Thomas repeated. Suddenly it made sense. 

“ **Logic,** ” he growled. “ **He’s close. Go.** ” He didn’t like talking while worked up, didn’t like the fear in the others’ faces as his voice echoed and growled. 

“Wha - Virge, we’re not going to leave you!” Patton said, and for once Virgil didn’t feel a rush of anger at his name. More at their lies. They needed to leave him. Why would they stay? He was only along so they could find Logan - if Thomas was beginning to feel the influences of logic they couldn't be far. They would find him well enough without the extra baggage. 

“ **You don't need me anymore,** ” he growled. “ **Go!** ” 

Thomas took an unsteady step backwards, away from Virgil and he felt a flush of satisfaction. It was working. He was pushing them away. 

But with the satisfaction came fear - they were going to leave him. Leave him alone in the fake world of Deceit’s realm. Leave him alone. 

Better him to be left behind than someone he cared about lost. He was willing to make that sacrifice. It should be expected - they didn't like him much anyway. 

“Virgil, you saved me,” Roman said. “I will not leave you.” 

“ **You should** .” 

“No, no this is my fault,” Roman said quietly. Patton started to protest but he shook his head. “Let me finish, Pat. I should not have listened to Deceit’s lies. I should not have kept what I was feeling to myself. And you... you paid the price for that.” 

It was strange, hearing Princey humble himself so much. Virgil was silent, listening to him. Hoping he could believe Roman was being sincere. 

“And... you’re my friend, Virgil,” he continued. “I know we have been at odds with each other in the past but… you’re my friend. You’re one of us and… you make us better. I’m not going to leave you behind.” 

Virgil stared at him, his mind slowly turning gears. He had heard that said to him before. A strange sense of deja vu flashed through him, and the image of the paper card he had found under his pillow flashed through his mind. 

_ “Anxiety, you’re… what pushes Thomas to rehearse and rehearse before performances. You’re that nervousness that he feels right before going on stage, but just as he does so... you ease up, and you let his excitement and passion for performance take over. I think that’s as good a sign as any that… you’re willing to work as a team. And that… you make us better.” _

He drew in a sharp breath at the memory. Maybe Roman did care about him. Maybe the others did want him to be around. Maybe the others didn’t hate him. 

Maybe the others cared about him as much as much as he cared about all of them. 

Roman glanced up at Patton and Thomas. “You guys keep going. I’ll stay with Virgil. Find Logan - he might be able to help.” 

“No, no it’s not real,” Thomas said. He frowned, as if trying to sort through his thoughts. “Ugh, I wish Logan was here. Look, it’s Deceit’s realm, right? So, that means there’s lots of lies. So… it’s not real, right?” 

“You mean nothing here is actually real?” Patton asked, looking over at him. Thomas nodded slowly. 

“Yeah,” he answered, hesitantly. “It’s like… in Roman’s realm, everything is real because he’s Creativity - he’s technically the creator of the whole mind palace. But Deceit doesn’t have the power to create things like Roman does, so it  _ can’t _ be real.” 

“That’s why I could summon my sword here?” Roman asked, branshing the weapon. Thomas frowned, but slowly nodded, running a hand through his hair. 

“And - and I give you more power than Deceit, you’re stronger than him.” 

Roman didn’t look convinced, but he nodded. 

“So the trees, the roots, it’s not actually real?” Patton asked slowly. 

“ **It is real. I can feel it** ,” Virgil growled. The roots were digging into his arms, pinning him to the rough texture of the tree. How could Thomas say it wasn’t real? Couldn’t he see - couldn’t he feel? 

“Logan would be able to explain much better,” Thomas muttered. “But this place isn’t real. Look - the trees are already beginning to fade!” 

Virgil twisted his neck to see where Thomas was gesturing, but he could see nothing fading. But Patton seemed to. 

“Yes! Virgil, it’s not actually real, come on!” he cried, grabbing Virgil’s arm through the roots. He flinched, trying to pull his arms away, not wanting to be touched, but he couldn’t move. 

“I - don’t see anything vanishing,” Roman said quietly. Virgil nodded in agreement. 

“You’re allowing Deceit to have too much control over you - both of you,” Thomas said. “You need to let him go, to stop listening to his lies. You need to trust us.” 

“Trust you,” Roman said slowly. He nodded, closing his eyes and breathing deeply . When he opened them again, a strange look crossed his face and his eyes lit up. “I can see it! This is not real - it’s a deception. Virgil - you're not trapped.” 

Virgil hesitated, looking between the three figures before him. For years, he had listened to Deceit, listened to the lessons he had taught and the lies he had told. “They won’t like you. They won’t listen to you. You have to make them listen. You have to make them fear you.” 

And he had. He had obeyed the lies for years. He had scared them, he had thrown up walls between them. He had made their lives harder when they should all be working together. 

So he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. 

_ “It’s not real. It’s all a lie. _ ” 

And he stepped away from the tree. 


End file.
